In brief
Trump said a “positive momentum” had been gained toward ending the U.S.–Iran conflict following a meeting with the Qatari prime minister at the White House and a post on Truth Social. He stated that Gulf allies favor maintaining the naval blockade and Operation Iron Gate, while warning that U.S. forces are ready for further military action. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, noted that diplomatic efforts had made little progress and a breakthrough was not imminent.
President Donald Trump declared that there was “positive momentum” toward ending the U.S.–Iran conflict after he met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House, according to a report from Xinhua on Monday.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Gulf allies—Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and others—favored keeping the U.S. naval blockade of Iran and the newly launched Operation Iron Gate, which aims to restrict Iran’s land‑based supply routes. He added that all these countries would “prefer the status quo” and agree that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, calling that position “non‑negotiable.”
In the same post, Trump warned that U.S. forces remain ready for further military action if needed, saying “Should there be any change with respect to developments in the Middle East, the United States of America is ‘locked and loaded’ and ready to go.” He also noted that the likelihood of renewed military strikes on Iran was low.
During a White House press conference, Trump said, “We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this conflict.” He added that “Iran, militarily, is effectively over,” and that taking further military action seemed unnecessary at the moment.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on Sunday, said that diplomatic efforts had made little progress and that a breakthrough was not imminent, offering a contrasting assessment of the situation.